Discoveries
by Nilladriel
Summary: [NejiNaru OneShot] In which Sakura learns many things.


**Discoveries**  
by Nilladriel

xxx

Sakura had not expected to open the door and see Naruto.

"Naruto?" she asked, wondering if this was a dream and if she was still asleep. She rubbed at her eyes, but he didn't go away.

"Sakura-chan," he started to say, and stopped. Sakura snapped awake--there was something wrong with his tone. She stepped back, and Naruto took the silent invitation and entered her apartment. Sakura narrowed her eyes--she could smell alcohol on his breath. That would explain the wrongness, then. It could also explain him ringing the doorbell at three in the morning.

Though, Naruto certainly wasn't _acting _drunk. He certainly wasn't stumbling, or off-balance, and he seemed as aware of his surroundings as he usually was.

"Naruto?" she asked. "Would you mind explaining yourself?"

"What? Uh, sure," Naruto said, and--was that a _blush_?

Silence.

Something was definitely wrong, Sakura decided. Naruto was too quiet. She sighed.

"What's wrong?"

At first, Naruto looked like he hadn't heard--then he suddenly wailed, "He _kissed me_!"

... This was not what Sakura had been expecting. "What?"

"He kissed me," Naruto repeated. "I thought it was just bar-hopping--you know, getting kicked out every time we got too drunk and then finding another place but then, I guess, I dunno, he got _too drunk _and somehow we found ourselves in a park and then--" Naruto waved his arms about wildly. "I dunno, we started fighting and arguing and crap and then... he...."

Sakura nodded, as if she understood completely what was going on.

"And after that I--I just ran," Naruto finished, sounding a little ashamed.

"So," she said, "you got drunk"--she glared when she said this, because getting drunk was _bad_--"and someone kissed you."

Sakura was beginning to get angry. This was _not _what she wanted to deal with. It was only three, for Gods' sake! She was supposed to be asleep! Not acting like some sort of--some sort of--relationship therapist!

"Naruto, you _idiot_!"

He gaped blankly at her. "What?"

Sakura didn't bother to explain. "Find him," she said, "and tell him you're sorry."

"What?"

"And if you like him enough, kiss him _back_."

"What?"

"If you didn't like the kiss, tell him you're sorry but no, you didn't like it."

"Uh."

"And!" She planted her hands on her hips and _glared _at him. "Get out! Right this second! I want my beauty rest!"

"Wha..." Naruto started to say, but obligingly got up and went out the door when Sakura slammed it open. "Okay," he said, and grinned, as if she hadn't just yelled at him and kicked him out. "Thanks, Sakura-chan!"

When she tried to close the door--_hard_--Naruto stuck his foot out.

"What?" she snapped.

"I forgot to tell you," he said, face splitting into a grin. "Don't get Fuzzy Eyebrows drunk."

"What?" she said again, only now she was more confused than anything. How--how did Naruto _know_?

"He's really scary. Sings a lot," Naruto said, nodding to himself. "Really loud, too, and he wouldn't be so bad except he dances." And then, as an afterthought, "And he can punch people through walls, but that's  
not bad, really."

Sakura closed the door and stood there, staring. _I don't want to know, _she thought, and went back to bed.

xxx

After a few weeks, Sakura managed to forget about the incident.

(Not entirely, though. She wondered if those _looks _Hinata and Ten-Ten kept giving her had anything to do with her trying to get Lee drunk.)

And then Naruto came back from a mission.

In Leaf, people weren't really welcomed back from missions--but after particularly difficult ones, friends mysteriously ended up at the exact same spot at the exact same time. It was, of course, entirely coincidence. They were ninja! Worrying that friends might die on a measly C- or B-class mission was just _stupid_.

Sakura happened upon one of these missions while grocery shopping. _How stupid, _she thought disdainfully, _of _course _he was going to come back alive, he's Naruto! _

The grocery store closest to her apartment was on the other side of the village.

Hinata, of course, was already there. Funny thing was, she wasn't saying anything. Neither was anyone else. Sakura worried--just for a second--that it was because Naruto was grievously hurt, and for some reason wasn't at the hospital. Then she dismissed it. There was no smell of blood, and no competent ninja stood around and gaped while a comrade lay dying.

Sakura stepped up next to Kiba and followed his astounded gaze.

_Oh, _she thought. _Poor Hinata._

Sakura stared at Naruto, and wondered if her mind had broken.

Naruto. Naruto and Neji. Neji. Neji and Naruto. Naruto and Neji.

Sakura tried to wrap her mind around it. Then she tried to wrap her mind around them kissing. In the middle of the street.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," she said.

"It's all right," Hinata said, blushing. Everyone was still staring.

"I suppose he followed my advice," Sakura continued.

"I didn't think Neji-niisan would listen to me," Hinata agreed.

Sakura blinked and looked, astonished, at Hinata. Hinata was still staring at Neji and Naruto, who had by now broken apart. Naruto had a feral glint in his eye. Neji just looked--well, how he usually looked. Except it was hard to look aloof and calm and collected when your lips were bruised and your face was the color of Sakura's hair. He was trying very hard, though. Sakura just thought he looked sexy. It was easy to do _that_ when you had just been kissed. Naruto seemed to think he looked sexy, too, because he grabbed Neji and kissed him again.

After a while, Kiba said, "I'm _never _getting drunk with you two again," and stormed off.


End file.
